A new group aims to offer information and support to winter wheat growers.

Bayer Crop Science, Richardson International, and Ducks Unlimited are collaborating on the Western Winter Wheat Initiative.

“The purpose of this initiative is to build awareness and credibility of winter wheat as a highly productive crop option for western Canadian farmers,” says Janine Paly, an agronomist with Ducks Unlimited.

“If producers are thinking about growing winter wheat they are able to call us for help. We also have an interactive and comprehensive website. It contains stats that support the benefits of growing winter wheat, provides clear production management guidelines, and has tools to help producers grow winter wheat.”

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If a producer is planning on growing winter wheat this fall, Paly says now is the time to get things ready.

“If producers are thinking about growing winter wheat, they should start to think about lining their inputs up. They should be getting seed treatments on their farm, setting up their fertilizer with their retailer, sourcing seed, and getting their seeding equipment out of the Quonset and ready to go.”

The recommended time for seeding depends on location in the province.

“For central Alberta, the first weeks of September are ideal,” says Paly. “The farther south you go towards Calgary and Lethbridge, that seeding date can be pushed back towards the end of September.”

For more info, see www.growwinterwheat.ca or call 866-761-5270.